Agricultural equipment rental cooperatives UNPA welcomes instructions from the President of the Republic

In a statement to APS, UNPA National Secretary Slimane Dribine highlighted the importance of the President's instructions, emphasising the essential role of agricultural equipment at all stages of production across all sectors. He believes that the establishment of agricultural cooperatives for renting various agricultural machinery will give a strong boost to the mechanisation of the sector.

The provision of modern equipment is a key factor in improving yields and reducing crop losses in the cereal sector, particularly during the harvest period, he added.

In this regard, he recalled that the President of the Republic had emphasised, during a previous meeting of the Council of Ministers, the need to increase the area of cultivated agricultural land to 3 million hectares, a goal that should be at the top of the list of priorities.

For his part, Salim Djenaihi, acting managing director of the Agrodiv group, welcomed the President's guidelines on setting up agricultural cooperatives within the group to take charge of leasing various agricultural machinery, as well as speeding up the drafting of a law to regulate and organise these cooperatives.

The group will proceed with the creation of regional cooperatives across various areas renowned for their cereal production, such as the South and the Highlands, with "the establishment of a legal and regulatory framework before the end of March and beginning of April so that the mechanisms are ready for the launch of the harvest campaign in May in the southern wilayas, then in July in the other wilayas," added the same official.

Every year, farmers encounter difficulties in acquiring or renting agricultural equipment during crucial periods of the season, which delays harvesting operations. Hence, the importance of this new measure, which will put an end to this problem, he said.

As a reminder, during the Council of Ministers meeting, the President of the Republic ordered the establishment of agricultural cooperatives under the AGRODIV group to undertake the rental of various agricultural machinery, with the urgent drafting of a law to regulate and organise these cooperatives.

The President of the Republic also emphasised the imperative of putting these cooperatives at the service of farmers throughout the country to increase agricultural production yields, while instructing the Prime Minister to oversee the urgent drafting of a law to regulate and organise these cooperatives.

In addition, he stated that agricultural equipment must be purchased by the AGRODIV group from qualified local manufacturers who have this type of equipment available, emphasising the "importance of field work and the need to immediately put an end to bureaucracy in the agricultural sector, where it seems to be deeply rooted".